Electric outlet box mounting

ABSTRACT

An electric box outlet with improved mounting means enabling the mounting of the box in an opening of a wall without the use of tools or fastenings, and with the open front of the box disposed flush with the front face of the wall, irrespective of the thickness of the wall. The mounting means includes a pair of mounting elements for engaging the front face of the wall and a second pair of mounting elements for engaging the rear face of the wall, and which last mentioned mounting elements are adjustable longitudinally of the box to compensate for variations in the thickness of walls. Said adjustable mounting elements are capable of being retracted to enable the box to be removed from a wall opening, without damage thereto, and so that the box can be reused.

United States Patent 1191 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ 111 3,710,972 Barry 1 1 Jan. 16, 1973 154] ELECTRIC OUTLET BOX MOUNTING 3,620,40l 11 1971 Lund ..22()/3.6 [76] Inventor: Robert Lionel Barry, 2916 East Randolph Road, Silver Spring, Md. f Exam".ler D0nalfi Nfmon 20904 Assistant Examiner-James R. Garrett Attorney-John N. Randolph [22] Filed: Jan. 26 1971 21 Appl. No.: 109,910 [57] ABSTRACT An electric box outlet with improved mounting means I enabling the mounting of the box in an opening of a [52] :J.S.C|I ..220/3.6, 174/58 wan without the use of tools or fastenings, and with [5 1 It. C u the p front of the box i p flush the front [58] new of Search 18; 248/27 6; face of the wall, irrespective of the thickness of the 174/58 wall. The mounting means includes a pair of mounting elements for engaging the front face of the wall and a [56] References Cited second pair of mounting elements for engaging the rear face of the wall, and which last mentioned mount- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing elements are adjustable longitudinally of the box 1,328,968 l/l920 Russell ..220/3.6 UX to compensate for variations in the thickness of walls. 1,662,422 3/1928 Hodges. .....220/3.6 UX Said adjustable mounting elements are capable of 3, 12/1936 --220/3-6 being retracted to enable the box to be removed from 2,236,893 6/1942 120/316 a wall opening, without damage thereto, and so that the box can be reused 2,842,281 7/1958 Chisholm ..220/3.6 3,361,089 I 1968 Fischer et al. ..220/3.6 X 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEBJAN 16 I975 'II'IIII III lmm

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III- FIG. 4.

FIG. 3.

I 9 L- r INVENTOR ROBERT LIONEL BARRY ATTORNEY 1 ELECTRIC OUTLET BOX MOUNTING SUMMARY It is a primary object of the present inventionto provide an improved mounting for electric outlet boxes, enabling such boxes to be mounted in openings of walls of different thicknesses and with the open front of the box always disposed flush with the front face of the wall, as required by building and electrical codes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric outlet box mounting including elements for engagement with the rear side of a wall and which are capable of being retracted out of engagement with the wall, to enable removal of the box from the wall opening without damage thereto and so that the box can be reused.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a pair of resilient mounting elements for application to an otherwise conventional electric outlet box and which elements may be adjustably positioned longitudinally of the box for engagement with therear side of a wall, in an opening of whichthe box is mounted,

' and for cooperation with conventional mounting elements which engage the front side of the wall, to retain the box in the wall opening with its open front flush with the front face of the wall, irrespective of the wall thickness.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the electric outlet box;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, looking from left to right of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the same plane as FIG. 3 and illustrating an alternate positionof certain'of the parts, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the box as seen in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT cated members 13 which are disposed at right angles to the flange l2 and which lie against the outer side of the wall 10 and are adjustably secured thereto by screw fastenings 14. The screw fastenings l4 engage through the slots of the members 13 to enable the element 11 to be adjusted lengthwise of the box 7, when the fastenings I4 are loosened, for positioning the flange 12 with its inner side substantially flush with the open front end 15 of the box 7, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described. The walls 10 are each provided at the open end 15 of the box with an outturned ear 16 having a tapped opening. The parts of the box 7 as previously described are all of conventional construction and the openings of the ears 16 are adapted to receive screw fastenings, not shown, for attaching a cover plate, not shown, to the box 7 for closing its open front 15.

The box is modified to the extent that each wall 9 is provided with a tapped opening 17, adjacent the rear wall 8 and a rectangular opening 18, adjacent the open front 15.

A mounting element 19, a pair of which is utilized, constitutes the novel feature of the box 7 and the improvement of the present invention. Each mounting element 19 includes an elongated strip 20 of spring steel having a bifurcated end 21 which bears against the outer side of one of the walls 9 and which is disposed longitudinally of the box 7, an opposite end portion 22 which is disposed approximately at a right angle to the end 21 and which extends inwardly through the opening 18 of said wall 9, and an intermediate portion 23 which extends between an inner end of the end portion 21 and an inner end of the end portion 22 and which is disposed at an obtuse angle to the end 21 and at an acute angle to the end 22.

A headed screw 24 extends through the slot 25 of the end 21 and threadedly engages the opening 17 of said wall 9 for adjustably securing the end 21 to the outer side of the wall 9 and longitudinally of the box 7. The intermediate portion 23 extends outwardly at an incline from said wall 9 and, as previously stated, the end 22 extends inwardly through the opening 18. A plate 26, forming a closure member, is secured to the distal end of the portion 22 and is disposed at a right angle thereto. The plate 26 normally bears against the inner side of said wall 9 for closing or substantially closing the opening 18 thereof.

The outer side of each wall 9, along one side of the opening 18 thereof, is provided with a linear scale 27, as seen in FIG. 5, having graduations spaced apart an eighth of an inch. In FIGS. 1 and 5, the abutment portion'22 of the mounting element 19, which is shown, is positioned in alignment with the inch graduation, and it will be understood that the abutment portion 22 of the other mounting element 19 will be disposed in the same position, as illustrated in FIG. 3, for mounting the box 7 in an opening 28 of a wall 29 which is of an inch thick. The mounting elements 19 are adjusted to assume these positions by loosening the screws 24 and moving the elements 19 to their positions of FIGS. 2 and 3, after which the screws 24 are tightened for clamping the ends 21 between the screwheads and the walls 9. It will alsobe readily apparent that the mounting elements 19 can be adjusted in the aforedescribed type manner to accommodate the box to walls of various thicknesses. After the mounting elements 19 have been properly adjusted and clamped in adjusted positions, the box 7 is inserted from right to left of FIGS. 2 and 3 through the opening 28. The portions 20 by contact with the wall 29, around the opening 28, will be deflected inwardly to pass through said opening, or the plates 26 can be held between the thumb and index finger in the positions as seen in FIG. 4 while the box 7 is being passed inwardly through the opening 28 and until the flanges 12 contact the front face of the wall 29, seen in FIG. 1. The plates 26 are then released to the box 7 to be removed from the wall 29 without damage to any part of the box so that it can be reused.

It will be understood that'the mounting elements 19 can be mounted on various other types of electrical boxes including junctions boxes and switch boxes of various sizes and shapes and on either top and bottom or side walls thereof, and even, if desired, on the same walls as the mounting flanges 12.

closed except for the openings through which the abut-' ment portions extend, and closure and stop elements carried by the abutment portions for limiting outward movement of the abutment portions by engagement Various other modifications and changes are consaid second mounting elements including abutment portionsnormally disposed externally of the box and substantially parallel tosaid first mounting elements and adapted to engage the rear face of the wall for securing the "box in the opening thereof and'resilient portions disposed externally of the box and carrying saidabutment portions, said resilient portions being with the interior of the box and for closing said box openings when the abutment portions are in wall engaging positions.

2. An electric box as in claim 1, each of said second mounting elements comprising an elongated resilient strip having a bifurcated end bearing against a portion of the exterior of the box, and a clamping screw engaging through said bifurcated end and threadedly engaging in the box, said clamping screw and bifurcated end constituting saidadjustable anchoring means.

.3. An electric box as in claim 1, said box openings being elongated in a direction longitudinally of said second mounting elements for accommodating adjustment of the abutment portions depthwise of the-.box for varying thes'pacing between said abutment portions and said first mounting elements to accommodate walls of different thicknesses. g

4. An electric box as in claim 3, and said closure and stop elements being of a dimension depthwise of the box greater than the depthwise length of saidop'enings. 

1. An electric outlet box for mounting in a wall opening including first mounting elements adapted to abut against a front face of a support wall through an opening of which the box extends, second mounting elements adjustably anchored to the exterior of the box, said second mounting elements including abutment portions normally disposed externally of the box and substantially parallel to said first mounting elements and adapted to engage the rear face of the wall for securing the box in the opening thereof and resilient portions disposed externally of the box and carrying said abutment portions, said resilient portions being inclined away from the box from said anchoring means for yieldably retaining the abutment portions externally of the box and in wall engaging positions, said resilient portions being displaceable inwardly toward the box for disengaging the abutment portions from the wall and for positioning said abutment portions for passage through the wall opening, said box being substantially closed except for the openings through which the abutment portions extend, and closure and stop elements carried by the abutment portions for limiting outward movement of the abutment portions by engagement with the interior of the box and for closing said box openings when the abutment portions are in wall engaging positions.
 2. An electric box as in claim 1, each of said second mounting elements comprising an elongated resilient strip having a bifurcated end bearing against a portion of the exterior of the box, and a clamping screw engaging through said bifurcated end and threadedly engaging in the box, said clamping screw and bifurcated end constituting said adjustable anchoring means.
 3. An electric box as in claim 1, said box openings being elongated in a direction longitudinally of said second mounting elements for accommodating adjustment of the abutment portions depthwise of the box for varying the spacing between said abutment portions and said first mounting elements to accommodate walls of different thicknesses.
 4. An electric box as in claim 3, and said closure and stop elements being of a dimension depthwise of the box greater than the depthwise length of said openings. 